Closure device for tanks



g- 7, 5 E. H. BADGER, JR

CLOSURE DEVICE FOR TANKS Filed Sept. 7, 1950 INVENTOR.

1: was 77 6f 619E669, JR. BY

United States Patent CLOSURE DEVICE FOR TANKS Everett H. Badger, Jr.,Euclid, Ohio, assignor to The Parker Appliance Company, Cleveland, Ohio,a corporation of Ohio Application September 7, 1950, Serial No. 183,547

9 Claims. 01. 220-40 The present invention relates to closure caps fortanks and is more particularly concerned with a cap for closing anopening at the bottom of a tank through which the tank may beperiodically filled or drained.

It is rapidly becoming the practice to furnish airplanes of particulartypes with underneath refueling systems. In such systems the fuel tanksmay be filled or drained from an opening in the bottom of the tanks orfrom an opening in a manifold which leads to several tanks where theopening is at a point lower than the level of the tanks. The opening isusually formed in a housing which is permanently attached to the tank ormanifold. The housing is provided with means whereby a nozzle for eitherfilling or draining the tank may be conveniently attached and includes avalve, usually in the form of a spring closed check valve, for closingthe opening when the nozzle is detached. Because of the great hazardincidental to any leakage of fuel past such a valve it is desirable toprovide an additional means for sealing the opening as an addedprecaution against leakage. Such additional means has been provided bythe applicant in the form of a detachable closure device which also actsas a protective means to prevent the accidental opening of the valve andto prevent damage to and the lodging of foreign matter upon the exteriorportion of the housing.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a removable closuredevice for a valve-closed opening in the bottom of a tank or manifold inwhich the closure device has a seat portion and an expansible pressurechamber associated therewith whereby leakage fluid within the openingwill have access to the pressure chamber and will urge the seat portioninto tight engagement with a sealing surface surrounding the opening.

It is another object to provide a closure device of the type describedin which the device has a seat portion urged by a spring into engagementwith a sealing surface about the opening to be closed and in which meansis provided for utilizing fluid pressure within the opening foraugmenting the force of the spring.

It is another object to provide a closure device for the opening in thebottom of a tank in which the device has a fluid pressure seated portionadapted to nonrotatably engage a sealing surface about the opening andin which the device has another part rotatable with respect to the fluidpressure seated portion for attaching the latter to the bottom of thetank.

It is another object to provide a closure device for an opening in thebottom of a tank in which the device has a rigid closure plateattachable to the tank at a fixed distance from a sealing surfacesurrounding the opening and in which an extensible means is attached tothe plate and carries a seat portion with which an effective area isassociated whereby fluid pressure within the opening will act on thearea to urge the seat portion into tight engagement with the sealingsurface.

It is another object to provide the combination of a housing and aclosure device in which the housing has means for attachment to thebottom of a tank and has a valve closed opening surrounded by adepending tubular skirt and wherein the closure device includes anextensible seat carrying member located within the tubular portion andhaving means whereby fluid pressure within the opening will tend toextend the extensible member for urging the seat into tight sealingengagement with the sealing surface of the housing.

It is another object to provide a closure device of the type describedwhich includes one part for closing the opening in the bottom of a tankand another part for attaching the first part to the tank and in whichfluid pressure may be transmitted through non-yielding means to thesecond part for helping prevent accidental detachment from the tank.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent from a more detaileddescription and from the drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the closure device as attached to a housingat the bottom of a tank wherein the view of the housing is along thelines 1 -1 of Figure 2.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the closure device asattached to a valve-closed housing at the bottom of a tank.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the lines of 33 ofFigure 1 and showing the means for preventing accidental detachment ofthe closure device from the tank housing.

The closure device is generally indicated by the numeral 10 and isadapted to be attached to a housing 11 which in turn is secured to thebottom wall 12 of a tank by suitable bolts 13. Alternatively, thehousing 11 may be secured to or be an integral part of a suitablemanifold, not shown, which in turn may lead to one or more tanks.

In the invention as illustrated the housing 11 has a tubular skirtportion 14 attached thereto by screws 15. The tubular portion includesan opening 16 surrounded by a flanged portion 17. The upper surface ofthe flange 17 provides a seat for valve 18 which is supported by spacedribs 19 and which is normally urged toward closed position by the spring20.

The flange 17 is spaced a distance inwardly of the bottom end of thetubular skirt 14 and the lower face of the flange provides a sealingsurface engageable by a gasket or seat portion 21 associated with theclosure device 10. The lower end of the tubular skirt 14 is providedwith spaced outwardly directed bayonet lugs 22 which serve as anattaching means for the closure device.

The housing 11 is preferably recessed as at 23 where by the closuredevice may be completely contained within the recess so that its outersurface 24 will be substantially flush with the bottom wall of the tank.

The closure device 10 includes a circular closure plate 30 at the outermargin of which an extensible metal bellows 31 is sealingly attached asby brazing. The metal bellows 31 is of tubular form and has flexiblecorrugv tions 32 which permit ready lengthening and shortening of thebellows in the well known manner.

The other end of the bellows is attached by brazing, or any othersuitable method, to the outer margin of a circular disk 33. Also mountedat the outer margin of this disk is a rubber-like sealing gasket 21. Thegasket 21 is retained upon the disk 33 by a metal ring 34.

The disk 33 has a depression 35 in its central portion and has aseriesof perforations 36 between this depressed portion and the outer margin.At the center of the disk there is a .hole 37 through which a pin 38 isinserted and held in place by means of a snap ring 39. The pin 38 alsopasses through a hole in the center of the closure plate 30 and isbrazed thereto as at 40, the braze serving to seal the connection aswell as to unite the two parts integrally. The lower end 41 of the pinpasses through a bearing ring 42 and an attaching cap 43, the latterbeing retained by a snap ring 44. The snap ring 44 is located within adepression 45 in the attaching cap 43 and a cover plate 46 extendsacross the recess 45 to cover the pin and to present a smooth flushsurface on the outside face of the cap. The lower end 41 of the pin is aslip fit within the hole through the cap so that the latter may bereadily rotatable upon the pin. A spring 47 extends from the closureplate 30 to the disk 33 and tends to separate the same. The snap ring 39limits the amount which the two parts can be separated.

Toward the outer margin of the inside surface of the cap 43 there is anannular shoulder 50. Mounted on this annular shoulder is a retainer ring51 having spaced inwardly directed lugs 52, the retaining plate beingattached to the cap 43 by the screws 53.

Inwardly of the shoulder 50 and passing beneath the lugs 52 there are aseries of inclined surfaces 54 formed in the cap 43. Between adjacentpairs of the inclined surfaces 54 are vertical abutment shoulders 55.These abutment shoulders are located beneath the lugs 52 and serve asstops against which the bayonet lugs 22 abut when the closure device isattached to the housing 11. One of the lugs 52 has an edge bentdownwardly as at 56 for preventing accidental rotation of the attachingplate 43 in a direction for detachment from the bayonet lugs 22.

The outer face of the cap 43 is provided near its outer margin with twopairs of diametrically spaced depressions 60 so arranged that there is aweb 61 between each pair. This provides a means for grasping and turningthe plate with the fingers when attaching or detaching the closuredevice from the housing. A chain 62 has one end attached to one of thescrews in the housing and the other end to one of the screws 53 so thatthe closure de vice will not be accidentally mislaid while detached fromthe housing 11.

When the closure device is attached to the housing 11, the closure plate30 will overlie the abutment in the tubular skirt 14 and will be spaceda fixed distance from the lower sealing surface of the flange 17. Theinitial unstressed length of the metal bellows 32 is such that the upperface of the gasket 21 is normally spaced from the closure plate adistance which is greater than the distance from the plate 30 to thesealing surface 25. Thus the bellows 32 is slightly compressed in lengthwhen the closure device is attached to the housing. This causes thegasket 21 to be pressed against the sealing surface 25 by an amount offorce dependent upon the tendency of the bellows 32 to resume its normallength plus an amount determined by the spring 47. In order toaccommodate sealing deformation of the gasket 21 and also to accommodateslight variations in the distance from the closure plate 30 to thesealing surface 25 due to manufacturing variations, the disk 33 may moveaxially upon the pin 38 between the snap ring 39 and the opposedabutment shoulder 48, the snap ring limiting the distance the disk 33may move away from plate 30 and the shoulder 48 limiting the distancethat it may move toward the plate.

The metal bellows 32 and the closure plate 30 form a pressure chamberwhich is in communication with the opening in the housing by virtue ofthe perforations 36 in the disk 33. The outer diameter of the metalbellows is greater than the diameter of the contact line between thegasket 21 and the seat 25. This provides an effective or differentialarea determined by the two diameters mentioned. Fluid pressure withinthe bellows acting upon this differential area is effective for urgingthe gasket 21 into tighter sealing engagement with the sealing surface25. Thus fluid pressure within the pressure chamber formed by thebellows and the closure plate 30 will augment the force of the spring 47and of the bellows for seating the gasket 21. When the housing 11 isprovided with the valve 18 there will normally be no fluid within thehousing opening 16 below the valve nor within the bellows. But if thevalve 18 fails to seat tightly leakage fluid fills the bellows and actsupon the differential area with a pressure determined by the head of thefluid within the tank, or in the case of pressurized tanks or manifolds,by the pressure existing therein.

To attach the closure device to the housing 11, the cap 43 is insertedwithin the housing recess 23 with the lugs 52 positioned intermediatethe lugs 22 on the tubular skirt. At the same time the bellows portion32 is in serted within the tubular skirt until the gasket 21 contactsthe sealing surface 25. The cap 43 is then rotated in a clockwisedirection causing the lugs 22 and the tubular skirt to ride down theincline surfaces 54 until they abut the vertical stop shoulders 55. Asthis time the lugs 22 will be underneath the lugs 52 for retaining theclosure device in place. Because of the loose connection between thelower end 41 of the pin and the cap 43, the latter will rotate withrespect to the pin during attachment and detachment and no rotarymovement will be imparted to the bellows or to the gasket 21.

Pressure from the spring 47 and from fluid within the bellows actsdirectly through the plate 30, bearing ring 42 and attaching plate 43for biasing the lower face of the lugs 52 into engagement with the upperfaces of the lugs 22. The downwardly turned end 56 of one of the lugs 52makes it necessary to raise the cap 43 a slight amount in order toremove the latter by reverse rotation. Such raising is resisted directlyby the spring and by the pressure of fluid against the plate 30 and thusthe downwardly turned end 56 acts as a stop to prevent accidentalunloosening or detachment of the closure device.

Although but one embodiment of the invention is illustrated in thedrawing, it is understood that many minor variations in the shaping orarrangement of the parts will be embraced by my invention as defined bythe following claims.

I claim:

1. A closure device for a housing having an opening surrounded by asealing surface, comprising a closure plate, means associated with theplate for attaching the same to the housing, an extensible tubularbellows attached at one end to the plate and forming therewith apressure chamber, an annular seat portion at the other end of theextensible bellows and engageable with the sealing surface, the internaldiameter of the outer wall of the bellows being greater than thediameter of said seat so as to provide a transverse wall portion withinthe bellows between the seat and said outer wall, said wall portionbeing subject to the pressure of fluid within the chamber for urging thebellows toward an extended position with the seat in tight contact withthe sealing surface.

2. A closure device for a housing having an opening surrounded by asealing surface, comprising a closure plate, means associated with theplate for attaching the same to the housing at a fixed distance from thesealing surface, an extensible tubular bellows attached at one end tothe plate and forming therewith a pressure chamber, an annular seatportion at the other end of the bellows and engageable with the sealingsurface, the bellows being of such length compared to said fixeddistance that it will be slightly compressed to initially press the seatportion into engagement with the sealing surface when the plate isattached to the housing, the internal diameter of the outer wall of thebellows being greater than the diameter of said seat so as to provide atransverse wall portion within the bellows between the seat and saidouter wall, and an opening in the chamber whereby when the plate isattached to the housing fluid within the housing opening will haveaccess to the chamber and act upon the transverse wall portion to urgethe seat portion into tighter seating engagement with the sealingsurface.

3. A closure device for a housing having an opening surrounded by asealing surface, comprising a closure plate, means associated with theplate for attaching the same to the housing, a disk having an annularseat portion engageable with the sealing surface, extensible meansconnecting the outer margins of the plate and disk and forming therewitha pressure chamber, perforations in the disk whereby fluid in theopening of the housing has access to the chamber when the plate isattached to the housing, said extensible means including a transversewall within the chamber, said wall projecting radially outwardly of theseat portion and being subject to the pressure of fluid within thechamber for urging the extensible means toward an extended position withthe seat in tight engagement with the sealing surface.

A closure device for a housing having an opening surrounded by a sealingsurface, comprising a closure plate, means associated with the plate forattaching the same to the housing, a disk having an annular seat portionengageable with the sealing surface, extensible means connecting theouter margins of the plate and disk and forming therewith a pressurechamber, perforations in the disk whereby fluid in the opening of thehousing has access to the chamber when the plate is attached to thehousing, said extensible means including a transverse wall Within thechamber, said wall projecting radially outwardly of the seat and beingsubject to the pressure of fluid within the chamber for urging theextensible means toward the sealing surface, a spring between the diskand plate constantly tending to separate the same, and a stop forlimiting the amount which the plate and disk can be separated.

5. A closure device for a housing having an opening surrounded by asealing surface, comprising a closure plate, means connected with theplate for attaching the same to the housing, a disk having an annularseat portion engageable with the sealing surface, extensible meansconnecting the outer margins of the plate and disk and forming therewitha pressure chamber, perforations in the disk whereby fluid in theopening of the housing has access to the chamber when the plate isattached to the housing, said extensible means including a transversewall within the chamber, said wall projecting radially outwardly of theseat portion and being subject to the pressure of fluid within thechamber for urging the extensible means and the disk toward the sealingsurface, a spring between the disk and plate constantly tending toseparate the same, and :a pin connecting the disk to the plate andhaving means for permitting limited separating movement therebetween.

6. A closure device for a housing having an opening surrounded by asealing surface, comprising a closure plate, a cap connected to theplate and having means for attachment to the housing, a disk having anannular seat portion engageable with the sealing surface, extensiblemeans extending from the plate to the disk and forming therewith apressure chamber, a passage to the chamber whereby fluid in the openingof the housing has access to the chamber when the plate is attached tothe housing, said extensible means including a transverse wall withinthe chamber, said wall projecting radially outwardly of the seat :andbeing subject to the pressure of fluid in the chamber for urging theextensible means and the disk toward the sealing surface, a pinconnecting the disk, plate, and cap, said pin having means forpermitting limited endwise movement of the disk relative to the plate.

7. A closure device for a housing having an opening surrounded by asealing surface, comprising a closure plate, a cap connected to theplate and having means for attachment to the housing, a disk having anannular seat portion engageable with the sealing surface, extensiblemeans extending from the plate to the disk and forming therewith apressure chamber, a passage to the chamber whereby fluid in the openingof the housing has access to the chamber when the plate is attached tothe housing, said extensible means including a transverse wall withinthe chamber, said wall projecting radially outwardly of the seat andbeing subject to the pressure of fluid in the chamber for urging theextensible means and the disk toward the sealing surface, a pinconnecting the disk, plate, and cap, said pin having means forpermitting limited endwise movement of the disk relative to the plateand also having means for permitting the cap to be rotated with respectto the plate when the cap is being attached to the housing.

8. In combination, a housing having an opening surrounded by a sealingsurface and having attaching lugs, a closure plate, a pin permanentlyconnected to the closure plate, a capconnected to the pin and havingmeans engaged with the lugs for attaching the closure plate to thehousing, a spring normally biasing the cap into tight engagement withthe lugs, an extensible bellows connected to the closure plate andforming therewith an expansible pressure chamber permanently closed atone end, said bellows having a seat portion engageable with the sealingsurface, and also having a transverse wall portion of greater diameterthan the seat portion whereby fluid pressure within the chamber will acton the wall portion to move the seat portion into tighter engagementwith the sealing surface, said chamber having an opening at its otherend whereby fluid within the housing has access to the chamber and mayact on said closure plate, and non-yielding means for transmitting thepressure of the fluid acting upon said closure plate to the lugs.

9. In combination, a housing having an opening surrounded by a sealingsurface and also having a tubular skirt extending outwardly of thesealing surface and provided with spaced lugs, a closure plate, meansassociated with the plate cooperable with the lugs for attaching theplate to the housing in a position across the opening and spaced a fixeddistance from the sealing surface, a disk within the tubular skirt andhaving an annular gasket at its outer margin, an extensible bellowswithin the tubular skirt and sealingly attached to the outer margins ofthe plate and disk and forming therewith a pressure chamber, a pinconnecting the plate and disk and having means for permitting the gasketto be moved toward or away from the plate from a distance shorter to adistance longer than the fixed distance, yieldable means tending toelongate the bellows and biasing the gasket into engagement with thesealing surface, a passage to the chamber whereby fluid in the openinghas access to the chamber, the internal diameter of the bellows beinggreater than the diameter of engagement between the gasket and thesealing surface so as to provide an area associated with the bellowslying between the engagement of the gasket and sealing surface and theouter wall of the bellows, said area being subject to pressure of fluidwithin the chamber for urging the bellows toward an extended positionwith the gasket in tight engagement with the sealing surface.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,665,827 Tillman Apr. 10, 1928 2,102,962 Ludington Dec. 21, 19372,133,934 Ericsson et a1. Oct. 18, 1938 2,195,266 Bailey Mar. 26, 19402,225,964 Bailey Dec. 24, 1940 2,394,911 Griswold Feb. 12, 19462,581,536 Johns Jan. 8, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 571,655 Great Britain Sept.4, 1945

